The United Way of Berks County’s annual “Big Cheese” event received a major boost this year with a $100,000 grant from the FirstEnergy Foundation, helping to provide 500,000 meals to local children and families facing food insecurity — twice as many as last year.
The donation coincided with United Way’s 100th anniversary and supported the large-scale volunteer effort held recently at Penn State Berks’ gymnasium. About 1,000 volunteers assembled shelf-stable meal packages, including macaroni and cheese, rice and beans, and flavored oatmeal. Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank and other local food banks are distributing the meals, including to students and families in the Reading School District.
“Our employees show up year after year to support the United Way of Berks County’s Big Cheese event – and this year we wanted to do even more,” said John Hawkins, FirstEnergy president, Pennsylvania. “To honor United Way’s 100th anniversary, the FirstEnergy Foundation contributed a $100,000 grant, helping to provide an incredible 500,000 meals to children and families facing food insecurity. That’s double the number of meals from last year.”
United Way President Tammy White expressed appreciation for the support, noting that one in five Berks County residents — including 25,000 children — are food insecure, and more than three in five school-aged children qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.
“We are deeply grateful for the FirstEnergy Foundation’s generous support of our 100th Anniversary BIGGER Big Cheese volunteer event, helping ensure that families in need across Berks County have access to nutritious meals,” White said. “This partnership has a long history and is rooted in community spirit and impact.”
The FirstEnergy Foundation supports nonprofits addressing critical community needs in areas served by FirstEnergy Corp. and its subsidiaries. So far in 2025, it has awarded nearly $2 million in grants to organizations like United Way.